Resilient wheel for vehicles.



.I RESIDENT WHEEL ron VEHICLES! APPLICATION FILED APR-5,19-

menm 29, 19 1s.

JOHN L. KUNZ, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

RBSILIENT V7 IEEL FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 191%.

Application filed April 5, 1917. Serial No. 159,921.

My invention relates to improvements in resilient wheels tor vehicles, with particular reterence to that type of vehicle wheel disclosed in my tormer applications, Serial No. 153061, tiled March 7th, 1917; Serial No. 153062, filed March 7th, 1917, and application vfilerial No. 121,543, filed Sept. 22, 1916, allowed November 21, 1916. The object ot the present invention is to provide means whereby the telly may be supported resiliently by an annular series ot rubber disks, the central portions of which are supported in fixed relation to the hub or axle upon which the wheel is mounted, so tar as their radial distance therefrom is concerned, said disks being associated with the telly in such a manner that each cooperates'with all of the others in resiliently supporting the telly, each ot the disks, however, being easily removed and replaced independently ot the other disks.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation ot a fragment ot a vehicle wheel, with parts broken away to show the relation of the disks to the supporting webs, the telly and the tire.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, drawn on line 2, 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, drawn on line a, 3 6r Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: is a detail side view of one of the rubber disks.

Like parts are identified by the same reterence characters throughout the several views.

My improved wheel, in common with those described in the applications above mentioned, is provided with a pair ot disks, each comprising a metallic member A, having a central aperture at B to receive the hub and axle. The disks A are connected by an-annular set of cross rivets or bolts, which pass through holes C adjacent to the hub. The hub and axle are not illustrated in the drawings, since these parts may be of any ordinary construction.

The outer marginal portions D of the disks A are oitset outwardly to receive the telly between them. The shoulders (l tormed by ottsetting the portions D are located at a sutlicient distance inwardly from the telly E to allow treedom ot radial movement to the latter, to the extent permitted by the resilient supports hereinafter de-' scribed. The tire receiving rim F and tire 1*" may be ot any ordinary construction.

A vseries ot supporting blocks or disk shaped cushions G 0t resilient material such as rubber, are secured between the disks A. by bolts H and clamping nuts H, the bolts passing through the central apertures I,

termed in the cushions G.

Each ot the cushions G is provided with a peripheral groove 9, to receive a retaining band J, whereby the disks may be secured to the telly, the ends J ot the band being outwardly turned and connected with the telly by rivets or bolts K. The bands J preferably tollow the peripheral grooves 9 more than halt way around the cushions, and are shown as'fitted to about three quarters ot the disk in each case, leaving a sufficient portion of the cushion exposed on the outer side tor adequate bearing contact with the telly E, as illustrated at L, in Fig. 1. This bearing contact of the resilient disk G with the telly, will, ot course, be normally located at a point midway between the out wardly turned end portions, or cars J ot the bands J, which serve as connecting brackets,- adapted to secure the resilient cushions G to the telly.

To facilitate connecting the bands or brackets J with the resilient cushions G, and to also facilitate connecting these resilient members with the disks A, the hub portions and rim portions ot the resilient members G are made relatively thick, to fill, or substantially fill, the space between the disks, the intermediate portions g not only being comparatively thin, but also cut away, it desired, to torm openings 9.

The telly supporting resilient cushions Gr being arranged, as above stated, in an an nular row within the telly, and being also unitormly spaced, it is obvious that the telly will be resiliently supported on all sides from the disks A, in such a manner that any movement of the telly relative to the disks A and in a radial direction toward the axle, will compress the outer halt of each of the members G, on the side where such movement occurs. On the opposite side, the telly will tend to move awa from ingmovements, the sides of the cushions G- on that side, the latter being connected at their centers with the disks A. But, the bands J will as the wheel moves upward compress the inner half of each cushion, or member G, on the upper side of the wheel and actual contact between the members G and the telly as said bands J are tightenedcontributes to the durability of the wheel by avoiding the, impacts which would mitted to separate or move apart. erably apply the bands J to the cushions in such a manner as to partially compress the latter under normal conditions, and this facilitates maintaining the contact between the members G and the telly, on the side of the wheel opposite that on which the load is being applied.

It will, of course, be understood that the telly is a substantially rigid ring, and that an movement thereof relative to the hub .in' any direction will be resisted by each and all 01": thecushions G; The retaining bands J may also be formed of resilient material, whereby they may bulge at the sides when the cushions are compressed along radial lines, and whereby they may also yield trans versely to such lines, to alimited extent. The manner of connecting these bands to the telly is calculated to facilitate such yieldeach band approaching along the Outer half of the periphery of the disk, and forming an acute angled elbow with the connecting ears or extremities J, the distance between these elbows near the respective ends of the band being considerably less than the diameter of the cushions. 7

NVhile I ha e 'illustrated cylindrical or wheel shaped cushions, I do not limit the scope of my invention to cushions of any speeific form or shape, although the cylindrical result in case these parts were per- I pref or wheel shaped cushions are pre'lerred. be cause of facility in manufacture and in the application of the bands to the cushions, and also for the reason that the cylindrical cushions are peculiarly adapted to yieldingly resist variable pressures along radial lines, and lines transverse thereto, with. sul stantially the same resilient eiIect when coupled tothe telly as illustrated in the drawings.

I claim:

1. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a pair of supporting disks adapted to be connected with a hub, of a folly, an nunular series of rubber cushions mounted upon said supporting disks, and arranged in an annular series within the telly, said cushions being provided with central grooves formed in their peripheries, and a series of bands for connecting said cushion with the telly, said bands being located in the grooves of the cushions, each oi said cushions comprising a flat circular rubber block around which such band extends,-the ends of said band being secured to the telly.

2. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a pair of disks adapted to be secured to the hub, a telly loosely embraced between the outer margins of said disks, an annular row of circular rubber cushions interposed between said disks, connections extending through said disks and through the central'portions of said cushions, and resilient bands embracing the peripheries of the cushions, except at the outer sides, and having their extremities secured to the telly.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. KUNZ.

\ lVitnesscs:

O. C. lVnBnn, FREDERICK W. NoL'rn.

Gepiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, b addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

7 Washington, I). G. 

